Second Autumn in the Ice. 481 



dinner. The snow was whistling- about my ears. I had 

 not much trouble in getting- back ; the wind saw to that. 

 A tremendous snow squall is blowing' just now. The 

 moon stands low in the southern sky, sending a dull 

 glow through the driving masses. One has to hold on 

 to one's cap. This is a real dismal polar night, such as 

 one imagines it to oneself sitting at home far away in 

 the south. But it makes me cheerful to come on deck, 

 for I feel that we are moving onward. 



"Saturday, October I3th. Same wind to-day; 

 velocity up to 39 feet and higher, but Hansen has taken 

 an observation this evening in spite of it. He is, as 

 always, a fine, indefatigable fellow. We are going north- 

 west (8[ 32' 8" N. lat., 1 1 8 28' E. long.). 



"Sunday, October i4th. Still the same storm going 

 on. I am reading of the continual sufferings which 

 the earlier Arctic explorers had to contend with for 

 every degree, even for every minute, of their northward 

 course. It gives me almost a feeling of contempt for 

 us, lying here on sofas, warm and comfortable, passing 

 the time reading, and writing, and smoking, and 

 dreaming, while the storm is tugging and tearing at the 

 rigging above us, and the whole sea is one mass of 

 driving snow, through which we are carried deq-ree by 



O O ' 



degree northwards to the goal our predecessors 

 struggled towards, spending their strength in vain. And 

 yet .... 



' Now sinks the sun, now comes the night.' 

 2 I 



